Elwynn
Elwynn (b. 4E 181) is the main protagonist in Damo2986's Let's Play of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Elwynn is a Breton Mage hailing from High Rock. He is also a Dragonborn, the first in centuries. He also carries the titles Thane of Whiterun, Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold and Thane of Winterhold. Biography Early Life Elwynn is an orphan hailing from a town in High Rock known as Wayrest. His step-parents found him in a wooden crib within the forest next to their cottage. They decided to keep the fact that they weren't blood relations a secret. He lived on the outskirts of Wayrest helping his stepmother, stepfather and stepbrother with the family fishing business, selling their catches to the local market. Elwynn's (step) family were not well off but they had enough to get by on, being relatively happy with their location and fishing trade. Although being a Breton family, Elwynn's (step)family never really posessed any magical abilities, only being able to cast simple utility spells that helped them around the house and with the fishing business effectively. At the age of 13, Elwynn began to experiment with his magical roots, mimicking his stepparents and casting new spells from destruction spells to illusion spells. At the age of 18, Elwynn's parents finally came out and told Elwynn that he was adopted. They told the story of how they found him in the forest and that he isn't actually blood related. This angered Elwynn and he started to resent his parents due to them not telling him earlier and not letting him further his magical abilities by visiting the Arcane University and the Cyrodiil Mages' Guilds. After mulling it over for about a year, Elwynn finally decided to move out and further his magical abilities on his own by moving out and taking up residence in an abandoned cottage on the edge of High Rock and learning it from Spell Tomes and books. To this day, although he is grateful for everything they did for him, Elwynn still has a slight resentment for his family feeling that if they had told him the truth as soon as they could he might of still been with them now. Imprisonment by the Legion A few months after moving into the abandoned cottage, Elwynn made his weekly trip to Skyrim to trade for his alchemical resources, materials and other items. He came across a band of men (Stormcloaks) who weren't doing anything interesting until they were accosted and ambushed by the Imperial Legion. Elwynn was knocked out early in the skirmish due to being off-guard. When he awoke, he was and in a cart with three other people: Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, the Stormcloak soldier Ralof of Riverwood, and the horse thief Lokir of Rorikstead. When they arrived at Helgen to be executed, the panicking Lokir made a run for it and was shot down. Elwynn was not on the execution list, but was ordered to the block with the rest of them, an Imperial soldier named Hadvar assuring that his body would be returned to High Rock. After one Stormcloak got executed, Elwynn was called to the block. Luckily, before he could be beheaded, a dragon landed on a nearby watchtower and started attacking, throwing the entire town into chaos. In the confusion, Elwynn and Ralof fled into a nearby tower. Fighting their way through attacking Imperials, who where oblivious to the attack above, the pair escaped through the basement and into an underground cavern, which lead to the outside. The dragon was gone by the time they got out. Ralof and Elwynn split up, but both made their way to the nearby town of Riverwood. Along the way, Elwynn found the Guardian Stones along the road, receiving a blessing by the Mage to improve his magical training. The Golden Claw After spending the night in Riverwood's tavern, Elwynn learned about several rumours and dabbled with the nearby alchemy table. He also found himself tangled with in a local love triangle over Camilla, sister of the local shopkeeper, resulting the bard Sven coming victorious. While looking for work that didn't neccessarily require "getting his hands dirty", he agreed to find the shopkeeper's antique Golden Claw, which was stolen by bandits up at Bleak Falls Barrow. After learning some new spells and accepting some hospitality from Rolaf's family, he set off to the barrow the long way around, having failed to listen to Camilla's directions. As such, he fought his way through a heavy snowstorm, a few skeletons, and a bandit camp just within Bleak Falls Barrow, where he spent the night after dispatching of his attackers. He continued through the barrow and encountered numerous dangers, ranging from a trap-loaded door puzzle (which a hapless bandit demonstrated) to a massive spider to undead Draugr stirring from their rest. Recovering the Golden Claw from Arvel the Swift, Elwynn continued further into the barrow and used the claw to unlock the final chamber. There he found a mysterious wall with unfamiliar writing, one of the unknown words burning into the Breton's memory. Immediately afterwards, one last Draugr rose from its coffin and attacked, only to fall prey to Elwynn's improving magic. He then recovered a curious Dragonstone from its body and left the barrow through a secret passageway at the back. It was a miserable journey back to Riverwood, a torrential rainstorm made worse by a scavenger assaulting the mage after stripping clean a fallen Stormcloak. Elwynn endured, however, and after stopping at an old lady's cabin to read a book, he made it back to the village. Sleeping the rest of the night with Ralof's family, he returned the Golden Claw in the morning, receiving a nice reward and seemingly Camilla's eye. After receiving his reward money and selling the loot from his journey, Elwynn wanted to buy some magical items. He had enough for a Ring of Destruction, but not enough for the robes he wanted. To earn some extra money, he spent several hours chopping wood at the mill. Although he made a nice profit, the Breton wasn't too big on the whole "physical labour" thing and instead turned to alchemical pursuits for a time. He didn't wish to wait around in Riverwood forever, however, and planned for the journey ahead. He intended to visit Whiterun before hunting down a bounty, but he stumbled across a nearby mine that diverted his attention. After clearing it of bandits, he returned to Riverwood to sell his loot and sleep. In the morning, he set out for Whiterun. Along the way however, he got sidetracked by the nearby Honningbrew Meadery where he took some of their mead out of barrels and then sold it back to them. He then visited the nearby farms where he looked around and harvested some crops. While at the farms, he also met some members of the companions who had just slain a giant, but the conversation got off to strange start, and he refused to join them as he thought they were hinting he should. After he fully explored the farms, he entered the city of Whiterun. Eventful Times in Whiterun After mistaking a local hunting shop for the local inn, Elwynn found the real inn and spent the night there. Once morning came, he decided to explore the city, starting with the inn itself. Unfortunately, his efforts to read a book in a back room was mistaken for a forgery attempt, resulting in a five septim fine and trip to Dragonsreach, the local castle. Shaking off the unpleasent experience, the Breton wandered about and did some shopping, eventually noticing an argument between the Battle-Born clan and an elderly Gray-Mane, taunting her about the apparent death of Thorald, her son. Taking offense to the Battleborns' actions, he agreed to search the Battle-Born's residence for proof that Thorald was only missing. Sure enough, he learned that the Thalmor had the man captive, but given how far away he was being held, he decided that rescuing the man was not his first priority. Returning to Dragonsreach, Elwynn met with Jarl Balgruuf the Greater, informing him of Riverwood's desire for aid. The Jarl then introduced him to Farengar Secret-Fire, the court mage, who wanted Elwynn to recover an artifact from Bleak Falls Barrow. It was the Dragonstone, which Elwynn had already recovered. As soon as he handed it over, the Jarl's housecarl alerted the pair that a dragon had been sighted. The Jarl, after thanking Elwynn for his help and granting him permission to buy property, asked the Breton to accompany the soldiers investigating the dragon, as he was the only one with any experience regarding them. Elwynn wasn't exactly enthused with this appointment; after all, his only experience was of fleeing a dragon, not fighting one. Regardless, he joined the band of soldiers sent to investigate, as they weren't expecting to actually fight it. The dragon did show up, however, and fight they did. Elwynn delivered the final blow with his lightning powers, and as the dragon died, his body reduced to bone and magical energy poured into the Breton. Recalling the word he had seen at Bleak Falls Barrow, he shouted it and a forceful blast expelled from his mouth. The soldiers around him exclaimed their belief that he was a Dragonborn for absorbing the dragons power. While he had read a book on the Dragonborn, he didn't recall the details and was overwhelmed by the experience, deciding to return to Whiterun and soak everything in. He did not have much time to himself in the aftermath. While returning to Whiterun, he heard a thunderous shout of "DOVAHKIIN" that shook the very ground. Frightened and feeling unsafe, he hurried back to the city, where he saw two Alik'r Redguards arguing with a soldier. They asked him to seek out a Redguard woman in the city for them, as they were forbidden to enter. Asking mindlessly about this at the inn, he discovered that it was the innkeeper's assistant, Saadia, who proceeded to threaten his life and explain the situation. She claimed to be a member of Hammerfell nobility and that the men searching for her were mercenaries hired by the Thalmor, hoping that Elwynn would take care of them for her. However, Elwynn had enough to take in already and went straight to bed, pondering upon the strange events of that day. The next day, Elwynn promptly travelled back to Dragonsreach and informed the Jarl of the dragon's death. In the process, he learned that what he had heard the night before was the Greybeards summoning him, high atop the Throat of the World at High Hrothgar. In addition, for defeating the dragon that threatened the hold, he was named Thane of Whiterun, a hero of the hold. As part of his position, he was assigned a woman named Lydia as his personal housecarl. Elwynn needed to sit down for a moment to process everything and plan ahead. Of Septims and Spells Elwynn decided that before he was to travel anywhere far away, such as High Hrothgar, that he wanted to purchase all the spells he wanted from Farengar Secret-Fire. Calculating the cost to accomplish this, he concluded that he needed some four thousand or so septims to accomplish this. As such, he decided to stay in Whiterun hold and perform miscellanious tasks, like delivering frost salts and retrieving the lost amulet of a Priest of Arkay. He also agreed to find a sword called 'Nettlebane' for the Temple of Kynareth; when inquiring about the Gildergreen tree, he had absentmindedly stolen some Lavender, and while he returned the plant and paid a one septim fine, he still felt bad enough to seek the blade as pennence for his action. He also followed up on previous activities. Having heard an earlier argument, he learned of a stolen sword that he could retrieve for a reward. He also followed up on the events from the previous night, interrogating an Alik'r prisoner on the whereabouts of his leader, Kematu. The Redguard agreed to tell him if Elwynn paid his fine and released him. Reluctantly doing so, hoping that the ultimate reward would cover his cost, he obtained the information he needed. To both his amusement and chagrin, the guards did not appear to actually release the criminal; amusement for the man getting his just desserts, but chagrin because it felt like wasted money. After spending another night at the inn, Elwynn set off into the hold proper. While he spent much of his time gathering alchemical ingrediants, he witnessed a skirmish between a Whiterun soldier and two necromancers (the soldier winning) and his first glimpse of some mammoths. He considered approaching the mammoths, but given their aggressive stance and a nearby giant, he backed off. As it was along the way to Kematu's hideout, Swindler's Den, Elwynn ran across Redoran's Retreat, the site of the bounty he picked up from Riverwood. Upon clearing the cavern, the young mage found a treasure map leading somewhere near Whiterun. Seeking it out and finding a small yet profitable haul, Elwynn returned to the city to sell his loot and call it a night. After a frustrating morning of poor magical practice, he turned in the bounty and left to once again seek out Swindler's Den. Deciding to investigate Fort Greymoor along the way, Elwynn was confused by the relocation of the dragon bones from before. To his terror, he saw another dragon in the distance, prompting him to retreat into the nearby guard tower. However, said dragon flew away into the mountains, much to Elwynn's relief. Fort Greymoor was inhabited by so many bandits (plus one creepy old lady) that both he and Lydia couldn't carry all the loot. After giving brief consideration to buying a house, simply to have somewhere to stash his hefty book collection (heavily increased after his latest outing), he returned to Whiterun to the usual routine. Clearing out much of his inventory and instituting a new policy about food, carrying no more than ten of each foodstuff, he and Lydia set off again. Carefully sneaking past a giant camp, fearing that the large creatures would be hostile, he made his way to some Nordic ruins. After a nosey-poke at Dustman's Cairn and a full purge of the undead-filled Hamvir's Rest, they killed the Saber Cat that slew a hunter's camp at Greenspring Hollow. At long last, they finally reached Swindler's Den and delved inside. Slaying some bandits that apparently housed the Alik'r, Elwynn reached an impasse: he had to trudge through water. However, he stripped down, carrying his clothes instead of wearing them, he forged onward. On the far side, Kematu and his men were waiting for him. Not wishing for bloodshed, they spoke to Elwynn before he left the water. They claimed that Saadia was actually a traitor to Hammerfell who sold a city out to the Thalmor, and that they had come to retrieve her so justice might be done. Elwynn was leery about this proposition, but the implications of treason, their superior numbers, and his current nudity swayed him to their side. He agreed to lure her out of the city, but asserted that he would turn on them if they broke their word and attempted to kill her. With reluctance, Elwynn lied to Saadia and lured her out to the stables. Kematu lived up to his promise, zapping her with a paralysis spell and giving Elwynn his share of the bounty. Sleeping in that morning, the long journey to Whiterun taking up most of the night, he sold off his ubundant loot (including some Elven armour from a Thalmor patrol, felled by some Stormcloak soldiers) and found that he had enough money to finally purchase the remaining spells that he wanted from Farengar. Heeding the Call With no specific reason to remain in Whiterun, Elwynn decided to heed the call of the Greybeards and ascend the Throat of the World. Believing the path up to High Hrothgar was somewhere near Riverwood, he attempted to hire a carriage to the village, but such a service was restricted to the main cities. Fortunately, he checked his bearings and learned that he needed to visit Ivarstead first instead and redirected his course. As he crossed into unfamiliar territory, he was suddenly ambushed by a Dark Brotherhood assassin. Apparently somebody wanted the Breton dead and performed the Black Sacrament. While confused and somewhat offended, he only allowed a few minutes of speculation as to why before moving on. Moving off the beaten path, he discovered the local Stormcloak camp and dueled with a necromancer at the Ritual Stone, similar to the Mage Stone that blessed him. Elwynn, however, was not interested in this one's necromatic focus. Along the road to Ivarstead, he reached the towers where the stolen family sword was kept. Since he was in the area, and he wasn't too far from Whiterun, he decided he might as well attend to the task. Clearing out the bandits with some skillful spellcraft, he retrieved the sword and some valuable loot. There was even a bed in one of the towers, and given the mostly sleepless previous night, he called it a night after a meal and light reading. Waking the next morning, Elwynn decided to press onward to Ivarstead. After clearing out the courtyard of Fort Amol, where an ice mage nearly killed the Breton, he found the road he was taking was leading away from Ivarstead. After taking in the sights of some beautiful waterfalls, he backtracked and took a smaller path up the mountainside. There he was attacked by a Sabre Cat and two Vigilants of Stendaar, seemingly offended by his use of Thu'um against the animal, Elwynn even considering that it might have been their pet. Soon afterwards, he arrived at Ivarstead at the foot of the 7000 steps. Deciding to hold off on such a journey until the next day, he asked the locals what they knew about High Hrothgar and sought out an inn to put his feet up. At said in, he met an angry mill owner with a grudge against bears and the innkeeper, who told him about the haunted barrow just outside town. Deciding to investigate the barrow, Elwynn meandered out of town and came across a rampaging dragon, seemingly bursting from the barrow itself. In an epic battle that included bears and the Ivarstead guard, Elwynn and Lydia slew the fire-spewing beast. Definitely earning a good night's sleep, they hurried back into town and plunked themselves into bed. The next morning, Elwynn started his trek up the Throat of the World. Along the way were several tablets that explained the history of High Hrothgar and the Way of the Voice, which he all read. While he did encounter a couple friendly pilgrims, the more notable encounters were several wolf attacks and a nasty frost troll that Elwynn fought nearly single-handed, as it swiftly incapacitated Lydia every time she engaged it in melee. At long last, they made it to their destination. After dropping off some supplies for the Greybeards, as provided by some friendly citizens of Ivarstead, Elwynn entered the ancient fortress. There he spoke with Arngeir, the Greybeard who served as their general voice. After "tasting" Elwynn's voice, they taught him two new Words of Power, an extension of his Unrelenting Force and the start of a new Whirlwind Sprint shout. Arngeir then tasked Elwynn to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller from Ustengrav in Hjallmarch... much to the weary Breton's chagrin, as this was quite the distance away. He also made some general inquiries about the Greybeards and his general destiny, but Arngeir kept certain details secret, feeling he was not ready for said knowledge. Elwynn promptly proved him right as he nearly died while trying to pass the furious storm that barred the way further up the mountain, where their leader Paarthurnax was said to reside. Not wishing to trek all the way down the mountain in the same day, he decided to spent the night at High Hrothgar, only to find they had no extra beds. Dismayed, he resigned himself to a restless sleep on a bench in a nearby corridor. Buying Breezehome The next day, while Elwynn made his way down the mountain, he thought about all the items and books that he was carrying around with him. Both overlaiden with various items but unwilling to abandon them, he decided that above all else at this point in time, he needed to buy a home. After several hours of scouring Ivarstead and trying to find Klimmek, the man who asked him to deliver the Greybeards' supplies, he found him and received a sizeable cash reward. Journeying back to Whiterun, he met several colourful individuals, including a rude couple of nobles on their way to a wedding, an aging orc waiting for a good death, and a witch felled by a wild Flame Atronach, which Elwynn finished off. Spending a night at the Bannered Mare once again, he sold a chunk of his loot and returned the stolen family sword. To Elwynn's disappointment, the man paid him by teaching him a sword and shield technique, which the magic-wielding Breton would never use. Finishing his business around town, he travelled north to eliminate the leader of Halted Stream Camp, who had a bounty on his head. The bandits proved a greater challenge than Elwynn and Lydia could handle alone, but after summong a Flame Atronach, they went down handily. While looting Halted Stream camp, Elwynn made some interestinging discoveries. First, these bandits were mammoth poachers in possession of numerous valuable tusks, and secondly, they possessed a spellbook for transmuting iron into silver and silver into gold. With a spell like that, Elwynn decided that mining could prove to be very profitable, physical labour though it may be. On his way back to Whiterun, he noticed a camp of bandits hidden under the rocks north of the city. Clearing it out, he found so much loot that both he and Lydia became over-encumbered. To speed himself along, he rode a stolen horse belonging to said bandits, which carried him to Whiterun's gates and then wandered away as soon as he dismounted. The Breton then hauled himself back up to the Bannered Mane for his nightly rest. It would prove to be the last night Elwynn would sleep at the inn. Selling his abundant loot, he travelled to Dragonsreach to speak with Proventus Avenicci. Cashing in the disappointingly paltry bounty for the Halted Stream bandits, Elwynn finally purchased Breezehome. He also purchased furnishings for his bedroom, living room, and dining room. He would have purchased more, but he lacked the funds. Regardless, Elwynn was ecstatic about finally having a house and a place to store his many books, food, and other items. The lack of complete furnishings, however, prevented complete satisfaction. After a morning of magical practice, he made his way to a marked yet unvisited location called White River Watch. Along the way, he spotted a dragon flying in the sky, and while initially startled, he summoned the courage to fight it and claim its bones and scales as loot. However, the dragon would not land and just flew away, which frustrated the mage. Regardless, he carried on to White River Watch. The location was filled with an abundance of mushrooms, bandits, and a blind old man who Elwynn left alone. The cavern provided plenty of loot, and combined with the loot he hadn't sold before, he had more than enough to fully furnish Breezehome. Extremely pleased with his residence, he toyed around with his new alchemy station and made a sizable number of concoctions for both sale and personal use. Considering his business in Whiterun complete, he now felt ready to move onward. Journey to Winterhold Having learned all the magic he could in Whiterun Hold, Elwynn decided it was finally time to heed the advice of many innkeepers and join the College of Winterhold. After a day of recuperating from a Rockjoint disease he had picked up during magical training (via his familiar Wolfie), he set off in the wee hours of the morning. Because it was his first time visiting the college, he decided to travel there on foot, serving as a magical pilgrimage of sorts. Along the way, he encountered a travelling mercenary who would not devulge where she was heading. Passing Whitewatch Tower, he sought to help the guards fending off some bandits, but the guards managed fine without him and snuffed his magic. At Loreius Farm, he came across a wagon with a broken wheel. It's owner was a jester named Cicero, who was transporting his deceased mother to a new crypt. He asked Elwynn to convince Loreius to fix his wheel, but the farmer refused due to distrusting the fool. The mage didn't want to leave the odd man stranded, and successfully convinced Loreius to do the right thing. The jubilant Cicero thanked Elwynn with a sizable 400 pieces of "shiny, clinky gold." Soon the tundra of Whiterun turned to the snowy territory of the Pale. Elwynn proceeded with caution and finished off a Snowy Saber Cat just before it could reach him. For a second time, a Dark Brotherhood assassin tried to claim the Breton's life, once again causing him to ponder why anyone would want him killed. Following the road signs into the Winterhold region, Elwynn stopped to warm himself and have lunch at the Nightgate Inn. Soon afterwards and many snowberry bushes later, the mage got excited at a large structure on the horizon, but it just turned out to be Fort Kastav, home to hostile magic users. The fight proved difficult, the conjurer surviving two arrows to the head before going down, but Elwynn ultimately triumphed. He might have perused the interior of the fort if he weren't so focussed on reaching Winterhold. He carried on to his destination and soon saw it in the distance. After fending off a hostile Breton, Elwynn was nearly killed by an Ice Wraith, but Lydia killed it and saved him. He also ran across an old orc seeking death, much like the one he met on the way back from Ivarstead. Another Snowy Saber Cat attacked Elwynn, and after a case of grisley deja vu, he struck it down like before. As night fell, Elwynn finally reached the once-great city of Winterhold. Caring not for anything else, he went straight for the College. To his surprise, he was barred entry by college member Faralda, who wanted to ascertain if Elwynn was worthy to enter. When asked what he sought from the college, Elwynn gave a satisfactory answer in wishing to unravel the mysteries of Aetherius, the immortal plane that provides all magic. However, Faralda also gave Elwynn a small magical test to prove his magical talent, and after plopping a Fear spell onto the college steps, he was permitted entry and the title of Apprentice. First Lessons After soaking in his first impressions of the place, Elwynn witnessed the master wizard Mirabelle Ervine talking with a visiting Thalmor named Ancano. After the high elf left, Mirabelle gave the Breton a small tour, some new robes, and assigned him his own quarters. She also directed him to Tolfdir's latest lesson, with Elwynn arriving just before he got into the swing of things. He also seemed to be the only student who agreed with his words about patience and safety. To drive this point home, Elwynn participated in a demonstration of Ward spells. Tolfdir then informed the students to meet him in the few hours outside the excavation of Saarthal to study magics past. Elwynn decided to spend the intermediate hours catching some shut-eye. As soon as he awoke, Elwynn headed straight for Saarthal, so eager to learn that he ignored any distractions. Of course, that did not include a wolf and another Snowy Saber Cat. Regardless, he arrived at the excavation unscathed. According to Tolfdir, the site was of interest because of the prevalence of unusual magical seals. The students went about different tasks, with Elwynn sent to assist Arniel Gane in searching for magical artifacts of any sort. The young mage quickly found an amulet hanging off a wall, which he took. Suddenly spikes shot up in the doorway and barred him inside the chamber as Tolfdir watched from outside. With few other ideas, Elwynn put the amulet on and the wall he took it from started to resonate. On Tolfdir's advice, he blasted the wall with his magic, shattering it and revealing a hidden tunnel; this also retracted the bars, allowing the instructor to follow. As the two mages proceeded onward, Elwynn had a vision of sorts... a apparition of a man warned him that he had unwittingly set things in motion, but judgment had not been passed and the Psijic Order believed in him. Elwynn passed on the warning to Tolfdir, but while the instructor was intrigued by the event, he seemed dubious of any danger and wanted to proceed onward. They soon found themselves attacked by several Draugr, which quickly went down. After reaching one chamber, Toldfir wanted to stay put and study it, but sent Elwynn to go on ahead and see what the Psijics might have been talking about. The young mage wasn't very happy; he expected college life to be less like the dungeon-running he had been doing prior. Elwynn pressed on, enduring powerful Draugr and deceitful traps. After a time, Tolfdir caught up with him, just prior to entering a large room with a strange floating orb in the centre. As Tolfdir investigated, Elwynn fought off the draugr Jyrik Gaulderson, whose body burst into flames upon being slain. Recovered from the burning corpse was an amulet fragment and a writ of sealing. While curious of the being's story, he focussed his attention on the orb. Tolfdir, equally fascinated, refused to leave it alone and sent Elwynn to inform the Arch-Mage of it. On the way out, Elwynn discovered another Word Wall, giving him knowledge of Ice Form, and a chest stuffed with several magical artifacts. In good spirits, he left the excavation and noticed a dragon flying overhead. Determined to kill it, he was nearly mauled to death by another Snowy Saber Cat, and by the time he finished off the beast, the dragon was nowhere to be seen. Returning to the college, he held off on speaking with the Arch-Mage and first read a book about the Forbidden Legend and the Arch-Mage Gaulder. It caught his interest and pointed him where to investigate next, but he had more pressing issues. Savos Aren, as was his name, agreed to meet Tolfdir, but put Elwynn in charge of actually researching the orb. Because of how late it was, Elwynn decided to hit the sack instead of the books. The Stolen Books Elwynn took the next day off, spending the time exploring the campus, meeting with his fellow students, and training his magical skills. Not wanting Lydia to stand around and do nothing, he sent her on a trip to Whiterun, retrieving his potions and books from his house, and selling junk he didn't want. Overall, Elwynn considered it a very productive day. The next day got off to an interesting start when a dragon attacked the college. With nearly everyone blasting it with magic, the attack didn't last long. Elwynn garnered special attention as he absorbed the dragon's soul, though it had no immediate impact that he could ascertain. However, he hoped the cleaners would quickly remove the dragon bones sullying the courtyard. When Elwynn proceeded with the investigation of the orb, he learned that the relivent books had been stolen by a former apprentice, seeking to curry favour with some rogue mages at Fellglow Keep. Said keep was quite far away, almost near Whiterun, so Elwynn needed time to consider his plan of action. Investigating some other assorted requests around the college, he found that they required going even further out of the way. As such, Elwynn simply decided to proceed with his assigned duties. He and Lydia set off immediately, deciding to make ground while there was still daylight. As they travelled along, they noticed a running Stormcloak soldier (Elwynn assuming it was an exercise routine) and two Vigilants of Stendaar, though these ones were not aggressive. He also met a lone Imperial soldier, who put forth an invitation to join the Imperial Legion. After handily defeating an Ice Wraith and several aggresive mages, Elwynn and Lydia made it into Fellglow Keep. It was dank and full of water, much to the Breton's chagrin. Thankfully, thanks to Lydia and his Flame Atronach, he was able to fend off any attackers. Then the unthinkable happened: an enemy conjurer with her own Flame Atronach overwhelmed the group and, while ultimately falling to kill Elwynn, almost struck down Lydia. In the end it was a misplaced spell by Elwynn which fell Lydia. Emotionally distraught, he stopped for the night and slept restlessly at the dungeon-keeper's desk, ignoring the prisoners locked behind him. When Elwynn finally regained his composure, he went about freeing the prisoners. They were vampires, much to his surprise, but they were more interested in killing their captors than the man who freed them. As soon as the nearby necromancers and evil mages were slain, the surviving vampires fled the complex from the way Elwynn entered. Soon afterwards, he found Orthorn, the mage who had stolen the books Elwynn sought. He had been imprisoned by the evil mages and their leader, The Caller, intending to use him as a test subject instead of a student. Despite placing blame on the mage for inadvertantly causing Lydia's death, Elwynn set him free and allowed him to tag along. With his housecarl dead, any help was welcome. Blasting their way through the keep, Elwynn endured Orthorn's constant whining until they reached The Caller. She was not happy with her students and work being destroyed, but she was willing to let Elwynn leave with the books if she let him have Orthorn. Elwynn falsely agreed, but only so he could backstab her with a magical attack. It didn't work quite as planned, and while The Caller eventually died, Orthorn fell in the resulting conflict. Nonetheless, Elwynn successfully recovered all three books. After sorting out his inventory, he made his way back to the college. It was not an easy journey, Elwynn enduring a nearly-missed skirmish near Fellglow, two near-death attacks by an Ice Wolf and Imperial man (respectively), and constant regretful memories about Lydia. However, he made it home in one piece, and after approvingly noticing that the dragon bones had been cleaned up, he made his way to bed. Return to Whiterun Elwynn awoke the next morning a bit overtired, having decided to read the books he'd recovered before calling it a night. Regardless, he was rested enough for the day's work. Upon waking, he spoke with his fellow student Brelyna Maryon, whom he had served as a test subject for on his day off. She easily agreed to join Elwynn on his travels, the two becoming fast friends. The young mage decided that, instead of sending a letter, it would be more appropriate to deliver news of Lydia's death back to Whiterun in person. He had unfinished business in the region anyway. However, before he left on his journey, he decided to explore the village of Winterhold itself. At the inn, he met a man named Sam Guevenne, who challenged Elwynn to a drinking contest to win a magic staff. Elwynn declined, but he considered doing it upon his return. There he also met a former College member, Nelecar, who he sold all the books he had extra copies of. Exploring the town further, he realized how run-down it was, prompting him to meet the Jarl Korir. According to the man, Winterhold used to be a much larger city before a Great Collapse caused most of it to fall into the sea. The College was spared this fate, causing Korir and his wife to blame the College itself. After selling off some junk, receiving a bounty on a dragon, and purchasing a Coral equivalent of the Golden Claw, Elwynn made his way back to Whiterun. It was a fairly uneventful journey, only encountering a skooma dealer, who Elwynn avoided, and a thief, who was defeated handily. They reached the city just before the shops closed, allowing them to sell the rest of their loot. Elwynn got the first early night he had in days, catching up with a long 12-hour snooze. The next day, Elwynn and Brelyna made their way to Silent Moons Camp to obtain the bandit leader's bounty. After clearing out the camp's exterior, Elwynn found notes concerning the location's Lunar Forge, which produced weapons with a particular lunar-based enchantment. He also acquired one such weapon, in addition to a healthy supply of loot. The bandit leader went down handily, doused in fire by the two mages and their atronachs. Returning to Halted Stream Camp afterwards, hoping to collect iron ore for his transmutation spell, he found some new bandits taking residence there. After mopping them up, a dragon flew overhead. However, between the two mages, their atronachs, and a helpful pack of wolves, it went down without much trouble. A surviving wolf attacked Elwynn afterwards, but Brelyna zapped it down. After clearing Halted Stream of ore, Elwynn and Brelyna made their way back to Whiterun. While Brelyna stayed at Breezehome to prepare dinner, the young Breton made his way up to Dragonsreach, cashed in his bounties, and relaid Lydia's fate to the Jarl. His objective complete, Elwynn returned and readied himself for his last bit of business: the acquisition of Nettlebane for the Temple of Kynareth. Traits and Personality Elwynn is a very cautious and observant character. He is very careful around water due to the fact that he hates getting his robes wet and dirty. Elwynn is very keen on royalties such as nice warm beds, exotic foods and expensive, intriguing books (the latter to the point of collecting them even if he already has them), but doesn't mind sleeping in slightly lower class beds and eating basic provisions as long as he has those 'pleasures'. Elwynn is not one for manual labour, but is much more keen on intellectual endeavors, such as perusing his wish to improve his magical ability in order to attend the College of Winterhold - as well as learning many interesting things through his love of reading. Elwynn also has a keen dislike for melee and ranged weapons, believing that they are crude, therefore completely ignoring them in a fight, even if his magicka reserves are running low he will not use any weapons at all. Elwynn is also somewhat clumsy. While nowhere near a complete klutz, he is known to stumble off nearby ledges, wander into fire pits, and accidentally pick up objects that aren't his. He also tends to be easily swayed by the last opinion heard; a long-standing belief like "all daedra are evil" might be undone by a quick read, and conflicting information may cause him to flip sides in a conflict. Elwynn is also very young, and some of his clumsiness can be contributed to his naivety. This does not mean he is stupid, but rather unsure of what the world holds and sometimes is caught off guard. Despite not caring much for physical labour and combat, he is willing to put up with certain activities if they ultimately benefit his interests. His basic magical practice, for example, consists of summoning his familiar Wolfie and blasting it with enough Destruction magic until it attacks him, enduring the ghostly wolf's onslaught until near-death, upon which he finishes Wolfie off, heals himself, and repeats the process. Additionally, upon learning the Transmute spell, he concluded that strenuous mining might be worth it if it could earn him a tidy profit. Elwynn used to be fairly callous about his treatment of followers, treating Lydia as little more than a pack mule and totally ignoring her interests. He gradually warmed up to her, however, and after her death in Fellglow Keep, he deeply regretted the way he had behaved. Because of this, he swore to never behave that way to anybody else who would travel with him. Spell Arsenal Destruction In no particular order of when Elwynn learned them. *Flames (starting spell) *Frostbite *Shock *Fire Bolt *Ice Spike *Lightning Bolt *Fire Rune *Ice Rune *Lightning Rune *FireBall *Ice Strom *Chain Lightning Restoration In no particular order of when Elwynn learned them. *Healing (starting spell) *Fast Healing *Close Wounds *Healing Hands *Heal Other *Lesser Ward *Steadfast Ward *Greater Ward *Repel Lesser Undead *Turn Lesser Undead *Turn Undead Illusion In no particular order of when Elwynn learned them. *Calm *Clairvoyance *Courage *Rally *Fear *Fury *Frenzy *Muffle Alteration In no particular order of when Elwynn learned them. *Oakflesh *Stoneflesh *Ironflesh *Candlelight *Magelight *Transmute *Equilibrium *Telekinesis *Detect Life *Waterbreathing Conjuration In no particular order of when Elwynn learned them. *Conjure Familiar (starting spell) *Raise Zombie *Conjure Flame Atronach *Bound Battleaxe *Bound Sword *Bound Bow *Reanimate Corpse *Revenant *Soul Trap *Conjure Frost Atronach Dragon Shouts In no particular order of when Elwynn learned them. *Unrelenting Force: Fus, Ro, Dah (Force, Balance, Push) *Whirlwind Sprint: Wuld (Whirlwind) *Ice Form: Iiz, Slen (Ice, Flesh) *Become Ethereal: Feim (Fade) *Dismay: Faas (Fear) *Frost Breath: Fo, Krah, Diin (Frost, Cold, Freeze) *Marked For Death: Krii (Kill) *Slow Time: Tiid (Time) *Fire Breath: Yol (Fire) *Elemental Fury: Su (Air) *Kyne's Peace: Kaan, Drem (Kyne, Peace) *Storm Call: Strun, Bah (Storm, Wrath) Miscellanious Companions *Wolfie (Familiar Summon) *Ignis (Flame Atronarch Summon) *Glacis (Frost Atronach Summon) *Fluffy (Dremora Lord summon) *Lydia (Housecarl - deceased) *Brelyna Maryon (Mage) **(Brelyna's Familiar Summon) **Salosha (Brelyna's Flame Atrnoarch Summon) **Frosty (Brelyna's Frost Atrnoarch Summon) *Kharjo (Warrior - deceased) *Marcurio (Mage) Books Read *The Book of the Dragonborn *Song of the Alchemists (Ancient Tales of the Dwemer: Part V) *Olaf and the Dragon *Of Fjori and Holgeir *Light Armor Forging *Nightingales: Fact or Fiction? *Fall from Glory *Darkest Darkness *Beggar Prince *Life of Uriel Septim VII *Rislav the Righteous *Aevar Stone-Singer *Immortal Blood *Lost Legends *Fragment: On Artaeum *Night of Tears *The Last King of the Ayleids *Herbane's Bestiary: Hagravens *Lymdrenn Tevanni's Journal *The Cake and the Diamond *Azura and the Box (Ancient Tales of the Dwemer: Part XI) *Atronach Forge *Midden Incident Report *The Ransom of Zarek (Ancient Tales of the Dwemer: Part I) Trivia *Elwynn is actually derived from the Welsh name 'Elwyn' and Old English name 'Alvin'. Elwynn Means "Elf or Magical Being". *Elwynn is, for unknown reasons, a target of the Dark Brotherhood. He has killed the assassins sent after him on over six seperate occassions. Category:Protagonists Category:Characters